The Winding Stairs
by Seizalyn
Summary: After the death of the Kylin, Paradise is destroyed and all that remains are its survivors: the ragtag bunch led by a certain sapphire-eyed magician and a barrage of emotions. Overall rating: G (PG for swearing in the first chapter, though ^^)
1. Heaven Sent

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** It's hard to believe that this whole fic originated from Liza's one line after the Kylin episode -- yes, the one this chapter starts with. And the rest just spiraled out of control into this end product. A sick little weirdo, that I am ^^;; It's strange, because she only appeared in my second or third Blue game (back when I was in denial and possessed by the firm belief that if I played his quest enough times I'd actually come across a decent ending...which I didn't T_T) hence why it stuck in my mind more than the preprogrammed dialogue does.

I'm hoping that if this doesn't surpass **Existence**, then it at least won't be worse ^.^ Then again, you're talking about a girl who hasn't touched the SaGa disc for more than two years, so I guess certain (or most) parts would be whacked out *hides* Frantic apologies if I screwed up your favourite characters! I'll be more than happy to accept a flame even if it has Blue prepacked with a Tower spell to whup me ass with ^^;;

All reviews and comments and constructive criticism or just plain criticism and Blue and Rouge jumping out from a birthday cake very much welcomed! *^_^* For more Author's Notes, be sure to read the last chapter ^_^ *wonders if anyone even will*

**SPOILERS:** Nothing apparent. Heck, this fic wouldn't even exist if I had lost to Kylin *sweatdrop*

**WARNINGS:** Mass swearing in the first chapter (which would be this). Yes, this includes the dreaded 'F' word :P Sorry, but I cannot imagine Gen going nuts without swearing even a little (drinking in bars and a destroyed homeland _would_ do that to you, right?) It's only in the first chapter, though -- the rest are pretty much safe.

===============  
**The Winding Stairs  
**Chapter 1  
===============

_ "Oh no, no," said the little Fly; "to ask me is in vain,  
For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."_

"Does it really have to be this way?"

Liza's mournful voice cut through the silence like an invisible blade, a mixture of disbelief and anger and sorrow all mixed into a concoction mirroring the feelings of her comrades. None had dared speak up, however, save the violet-haired woman who had always refrained from showing anything more than elegant coolness -- before this. She radiated with anger now, stepping up to their group's mutually-proclaimed leader, glaring at him in the eyes even if she had to look up just to do so. The position did nothing to belittle her obvious fury; if anything, it only made it more startling, just that much harder to ignore.

Blue was usually not one to step back. He hadn't, not even when taking up arms against the mystical Kylin. The mystical, magical Kylin, whose song had given birth to a century's poetry by the bards of the Scarlet Garden Kyo; who inspired myth upon myth hailing its splendid beauty, its formidable power, its paradise of laughter and eternal sunlight; who had eventually been eliminated by the sapphire-eyed magician from the Magic Kingdom on a quest littered by spilled crimson blood even before this.

He stepped back now. The effeminate features were contorted into an expression of surprise, incomprehensible of what could possibly have created such an outburst from the acclaimed martial artist. He had never seen such anger come from a person of such a petite stature before. Then again, previous to his quest, he had never seen such power emit from such a small woman before.

And a _woman_, at that. Now that was the biggest surprise. Women weren't fighters, neither were they magicians -- at least, they weren't treated as such at home. A woman's place was not on the battlefield; as a nurturer, a provider and a life giver, she was never meant to witness the destruction of such life by the hands of another. Was it any surprise that he had been hesitant in accepting Liza's help earlier? Yet much to his chagrin, she had proved herself to be more than a match on the playing field, holding her own where others would have fallen long before.

Liza was not the norm, though; rather, she was the exception.

Blue had a certain respect for her. A small, minute respect -- but it was there just the same. It wasn't often one had the opportunity to meet a woman who could throw a Dullahan several feet into the sky. It had taken a while, but the young mage had gradually come to treat her like another comrade, irrespective of her gender. Hence his surprise when she posed such a strange question.

"What do you mean?" he replied with a question of his own, curiosity gnawing at him to find out what was troubling her.

"What...What are you saying? You don't understand?"

A shake of the head on the magician's part.

Liza gestured in exasperation at the now-empty courtyard on which the small group was standing, her hands sweeping left and right to cover the entire expanse. Not a soul to be seen in the entire area. Where children once darted to and fro among the candy-colored pillars, only eerie silence remained.

"The children!" she explained when it only succeeded in making Blue look more confused than before, "The children! What will happen to the children?! You said..." at this, she had to pause to draw a shaky breath, "You said that this entire plane will vanish soon. Without Kylin's power to hold it together, it will..."

"Evaporate. Disintegrate. It will cease to exist. As if it never existed at all," Blue frowned as he found himself repeating what he'd just only explained to them minutes ago.

"...And the children?"

He tilted his head, still confused as to where she was heading. Nevertheless, with the patience of one used to dealing with the numerous questions usually posed by his comrades, he answered, "I suppose they will follow suit."

In all honesty, he wasn't quite sure of what would happen after Kylin's death. All his instinct told him was to run. As he felt the gift of Space intermingle with his consciousness, his very soul, it screamed at him to leave the area at once -- but whether it was to save them from disappearing into oblivion, or so that he wouldn't cause anymore damage to what was once Paradise...he didn't know.

"Hey, wait a minute," Gen walked up from behind, coming to confront the younger boy, uncertainty lacing his usually gruff, liquor-induced voice, "You mean just...disappear? Like that?" A snap of the fingers to illustrate his point. "Poof and...gone?"

"In a word, yes."

Blue couldn't explain the myriad of expressions that crossed the scruffy swordsman's face. The latter glanced at him with something of incredulity, his coffee-brown gaze flitting back and forth between Blue and Liza, as if silently asking them if he was really hearing this -- if this whole scene wasn't some liquor-induced dream caused by the pungent booze of Scrap -- if the fifteen-odd children he'd just witness playing around a couple of hours ago were going to vanish into nothingness.

If they were actually going to let it happen.

"Y-You're joking..." he gave a shaky laugh, punching Blue slightly in the shoulder, "Right, aren't ya? Just a damned good joke you're playing."

It seemed that Blue's confusion would reach no end today. He gave Gen another quizzical glance. "What makes you think I'm joking?"

The Wakatu swordsman didn't seem to hear him. Changing the light punch into a pat, he continued his shaky, hollow laugh, "Yeah, you always did have a weird sense of humor. Kinda grim and twisted and dry, all at once. Come on now, stop joking."

"He's not joking," Liza muttered stonily, her biting gaze enough to give a worse frostbite than that of Mosperiburg's chilly snow.

"Shut the hell up, Liza! It's a fucking joke. Just a joke!" Gen snarled, showing uncharacteristic rudeness to the woman. Drunken swordsman as he was, Gen had always held the gentlemanly respect and protectiveness for women all from Wakatu had been trained to abide by. The chance to meet a woman was a great privilege at that time. On the contrary, to snap at her so crudely was an action that demanded harsh reprimand, but he couldn't care about that. Not now.

Turning back to Blue, he grasped the young man's shoulders roughly, shaking him almost off his feet, "Stop it, Blue. Stop messing with us! I see through ya; you failed, dammit. So stop it!"

"I'm not joking, Gen." Deathly silence followed the stern voice. Then, "Put me down now, and we can leave."

"Leave?! Blue, the kids! Don't you care what's gonna happen to them?!" It seemed more of his comrades were finally breaking out of the hesitance that caused them to stay quiet about the matter in the first place. Lute marched up, eyes wide with shock, his movements erratic as he imitated Liza's earlier gesture at the empty courtyard. "We'll save them first, right? Right?? Get 'em all out with--with your map or something. Or maybe that Rei chick can teleport them outta here. Or something. But fact is that we gotta do something!"

"We can do nothing, Lute," Blue's voice was still calm, still curious, still incomprehensible of their reactions. Whatever happened to the comrades he had just fought side by side with moments ago? It seemed as if Liza's outburst had rendered them into babbling six-year olds. "There is no way for us to get a hold of Rei from here. My Region Map is incapable of transporting too many people. I told you that before at--"

His explanation was cut short as Gen flung his slender body onto the pink-and-white flooring, drawing a yelp more out of surprise than of pain from the young mage. Looking up, he was stunned to find disgust practically written on the older man's face. His features were twisted into one of disappointment and repulsion, both emotions fighting ferociously for dominance as Gen's mind struggled to compute Blue's tactless explanation.

Sapphire eyes laced with shock glided over to Liza, but only her back greeted him. He detected the faintest of shivers gracing her shoulders, and with a sickening realization, Blue could imagine the same expression on Liza's face as well. In fact, he more than imagined -- he could practically see it, as if Liza was facing him there and then with the distressing expression on her normally passive face.

Why? ..._Why??_

He honestly didn't know. Couldn't understand what it was that had got hold of his teammates so suddenly. Was it due to the aftermath of their fight? Previously, all they had to fight were mindless monsters...The Kylin was the first sentient creature -- the first to have actually spoken to them during the entire quest. Was that why they were acting so strange? Was that why?

"...Why?" Blue blurted out, not able to stop his curiosity any longer. This time, it wasn't for the mere interest in knowing; there was a sense of desolation in his voice, the desperate need to understand just what was happening around him. He hated not understanding. The loss, the frightening vulnerability of not knowing. It was not something he enjoyed. "I don't understand...what is wrong with you people?!"

"Wrong with us?! Wrong with _us?!_" Gen's eyes were blazing with fury and repugnance and just the tiniest hint of...tears? "It's you, Blue! It's all you! What the hell's wrong with you?! I couldn't care less if you offed some fucking monster without a second glance -- but children? You're willing to let a couple 'a kids die just 'cause your Map can't handle it?! Worst, you don't even seem to know what the heck that _means_. Damn it, what's fucking wrong with you, that's the question!"

Blue sat rooted to the spot, as did the rest of his comrades, as Gen finally lost that laid-back facade to the flurry of rage that claimed him. He didn't move as the Wakatu swordsman gradually neared him, didn't notice the sword unsheathed by the latter. All he concentrated on were the words. Words which were supposed to explain everything, but actually helped nothing within his strictly one-track mind. So the children were the problem?

"...That's right," Blue consented, rapidly trying to rationalize what was happening within his mind as he spoke, "The children. But as I said, there is nothing we can do. Neither you nor I can save them. What we can do is save ourselves, before we cease to exist along with this plane."

"So we run. Like cowards." Lute muttered from behind, glaring at the younger mage seemingly with all the disturbed abhorrence of the world.

Ah, that finally drew a reaction other than confusion from him: hatred. Hatred of the word; hatred of its meaning; hatred of its implied connection to him.

"No..." Blue answered slowly, eyes narrowed as he returned the glare with barely veiled anger, "We are not cowards. We are not running away. To be a coward is to run in the middle of your task. We have already finished ours, hence we are only leaving." He would never be labeled a coward. Never. He had never run from anything -- anyone -- before. How could he be called one if he had never retreated?

"Like I said, cowards." Lute replied blithely, not oblivious to Blue's hatred of the word and not particularly caring, either.

"We are NOT running away. What, is it our duty to help these...these children too?!"

"Yes! Yes, dammit, yes!" Gen yelled, going onto one knee to stare eye-to-eye with the blonde. "We can't leave them here. We just can't! You're the new Space Lord, aren't ya? Well, here's your fucking chance to do something GOOD with your damned magic!" He sneered, "...Other than trying ta kill your brother, that is. About time you tried to save someone with that thing, isn't it?"

Something snapped. Maybe it was the tension. Maybe it was the anger. Maybe it was the stress from all the confusion plaguing the young mage's mind as he tried to process what was happening and inevitably failed. Maybe it was the mention of Rouge. Whatever it was, it only served to snap the thin line he held between control and chaos, between the calm and the storm, between tolerance and release.

The blinding green light of Energy Chain seemed to emanate almost of its own accord from Blue's hands, as if it were an extended arm itself, crashing into Gen's body and sending him flying backwards, almost hitting Liza. Silence, all this while a faithful companion to this little scenario, now seemed to perpetually thicken, creating a barrier between the mage and his shocked comrades. Could they even be considered comrades, now?

Blue felt his insides quivering from the wrath that had overcome him, his outstretched hands still shaking at the realization of what he'd just done. He had attacked Gen. Gen, the drunken swordsman who had believed him enough to bring him back to his wretched, ravaged home. Gen, who had enviously thrown him into the huge wine barrel when Blue effortlessly chugged down every glass of pungent wine in Yorkland. Gen, whose hands he'd placed his life in time and time again in their search for the four Arcana.

A chunk of swirly blue sprinkled with lemon yellow broke off from the platform, floating briefly within the void before scattering into tiny fragments of sparkling candy, vanishing into the nothingness that surrounded them. A shudder raced through the entire plane, sending shivers up its inhabitants' spines, causing the large jelly-candy buildings to wobble from left to right. Right to left.

From within the main building, the largest building, cries of frightened children pierced the air, startlingly clear against the rumble in the background.

"Shit," Lute muttered, that one word summing up nicely what turn the situation had come to.

The smaller buildings collapsed into piles of colorful rubble, slowly disintegrating themselves.

Blue chose not to notice as everyone took even the smallest step back as he got up from his position, habitually straightening his robe. His long bangs covered his eyes momentarily, as he tried so hard to wrench back that much-needed control over the situation. A situation that he knew had gone horribly wrong the moment the Kylin sang its last song. Damn that beast. That beautiful, ethereal beast. That beast which had taken from him his teammates' trust in exchange for the gift of Space.

A pillar fell over, slamming into the roof of a small, sloppily-created shelter, sending pieces of broken toys flying in all directions.

Lifting his gaze, he stared at every one of the people inhabiting the courtyard, the terrified screams of children echoing in his ears. His voice, when he spoke, was commanding. It was a voice he remembered from his long years at the Academy. It left no place for argument. It was Authority.

The remains of a blonde, straw-haired doll landed at his feet.

"We are leaving. Now."

The sound of muffled sobs were all that remained as the final fragments of Paradise disappeared forever.

***


	2. Earth Bound

===============  
**The Winding Stairs  
**Chapter 2  
===============

The atmosphere was somber. No one had spoken as the Gate spell gradually wore off, as the scenery shifted from one of crumbling candy canes to the dimly-lit walls of Koorong's largest restaurant, as the frightful cries faded into the stuffy silence of an empty room. Only the pitter-patter of massive raindrops hitting the misty window panes filled the air, the storm that had gathered outside raging with all its furious glory. Pity the fool who was caught in such weather.

Nevertheless, Silence would have given anything to be out _there_ rather than in _here_. The intense emotions running throughout the room, bouncing off the yellow-colored walls almost audibly were more than enough to rival anything the storm had to dish out, attacking his sharpened senses like nothing before. What only worsened the situation was that no one did anything about it. Liza took a seat at the counter, turned away from the group. Gen stood up, gingerly rubbing at the bruised spot on his chest, eyes cast downwards upon the stain-covered floor. The rest simply stood, not able to move from their rigid positions. Or maybe, not wanting to move.

Because one little movement may be all that was needed to send everyone running after their leader's throat. Even though Silence could see that urge oh-so-clearly evident in Lute's eyes -- the feeling was practically flooding Gen's entire demeanor -- obviously none wanted an early demonstration of Blue's newly-acquired Space magic. They were all beaten enough after the battle against the Kylin; another run-in with such power was surely more than enough to send them straight to hell.

Silence shook his head, subtly, as those thoughts ran rampant within his age-old mind. It seemed incredulous to think that Blue would attack the very people he had come to trust as teammates.

Then again, he had just witnessed the younger mage cast a spell on a swordsman who'd saved them all one time too many. Granted, it had been just a low-level spell...but it had happened, just the same.

The click of a door being closed sounded like a gunshot in the all-too-quiet room. Breaking out of his reverie, Silence noticed that the mage in question was no longer with them. Apparently, even Blue had his own issues to work out. Breathing a sigh of relief -- for the tension, while still there, seemed to lessen considerably with the leaving of its cause -- Silence took a seat at an empty table, resting his forehead against the cool marble.

The feeling was nice. It helped quench the rising headache that threatened to overwhelm him, his inability to speak only limiting his ability to express himself. He had never had such a problem when with Doll or Fuse -- both knew enough about sign language to be able to communicate normally with him. His new comrades didn't have a clue, though, and he honestly didn't feel up to writing down the barrage of emotions that were running through his mind and soul at that very moment.

It was times like these that made him truly curse his inability to speak.

A pale, slender hand rested on his shoulder, causing Silence to look up. Nusakan's crimson eyes had dulled to a passive burgundy, silently asking about his condition. Silence nodded; he was fine, no need to worry. It wasn't as if he hadn't dealt with such emotional -- and moral -- baggage before. A seemingly lifetime's years of working with IRPO did that to you.

The nod was enough, and the mystic doctor removed his hand, turning to face the rest of the group. As no one else spoke, he cleared his throat before addressing them in a typical, nonchalant fashion, "Anyone up for dinner?"

"I can't believe it..." Lute murmured, his ruffled indigo hair shifting from side to side as he shook his head. It reminded Silence of the jelly buildings that had shook -- from side to side, left to right -- before eventually crashing down to the sickeningly-sweet floor below.

"Just can't believe it," he continued, looking up forlornly at the rest of the group, "So it ends like that, huh? We went in, stole the gift, killed the lord and the children along with it...then we grab dinner. That's it?"

"We didn't steal the gift. It was earned."

"Oh, come on, Doc!" Lute burst out in exasperation, training flashing prussian eyes upon the stoic doctor, "You saw the blood littering the damned floor! Heck, you even helped spread some of it yourself! How is that not killing, huh? It looked like that to me!"

"How strange that killing didn't seem to effect you as much when we battled Suzaku," Nusakan replied coolly, seemingly unaffected by Lute's words, "Is there a double standard for monsters who can and cannot talk?"

"The hell--"

"Lute!" Liza's stern voice rang clearly amidst the tumultuous background of incessant raindrops and raging emotions, enough to stop the emotional musician from lunging at his companion. She had turned back from the counter, had watched the exchange between the two men, had felt the blush tinge her cheeks as Nusakan's words rang some truth in her ears. They hadn't thought twice about fighting Suzaku, but going up against the Kylin...

Lute did stop himself in time, staring for a moment at the older woman before throwing himself upon the seat of yet another empty table. Moments passed in unease, his windswept hair covering a large portion of his face, shielding it from scrutiny. He could feel Nusakan's eyes on him, as with the rest of the group's, but he didn't care. All he could care about was the cries of children still ringing loudly in his ears, every syllable tearing at his emotional heart, making him hate himself more and more for being so damned useless.

It seemed that the only way to make up for this failure was to pound Blue to dust. Yet even that, he wasn't entirely sure he could do.

The mystic doctor folded his arms, shifting his gaze from Lute to the entire room's occupants. "It's not about Kylin," he stated, although his voice seemed slightly gentler than before, succeeding in even getting Gen's attention, "Not so much about it, anyway. It's about the children. The innocent, unmindful children -- because they weren't in any way even connected to this. So it seems unfair for them to become the victims as well."

Although no one reacted, all seemed to silently agree. Sacrifices on the battlefield were nothing new to any of them -- however, the sacrifice of innocents was another matter entirely.

"...You know..."

Everyone's attention shifted to the quiet musician, the thoughtfulness of this voice. He had always come across as just another country hick before. This sudden change demanded attention.

"...I have a brother, in Yorkland. Blue and I -- we met him, once, when heading to get the Grail Card. Everyone else was scattered around at that time, so it was just...Blue and I," Lute shook his head, aware he was drifting off course, "Anyway, that brother -- I care about him. A lot. He calls me 'Big bro' all the time, even though he's like, a hundred times taller than me. Heh. But I was still his big bro. Still am.

"Those kids...when I first saw them, they reminded me of him. If it wasn't for the height, or the race, then...then they would have been exactly the same. All trusting and naive and stuff. Maybe I'm being stupid -- god knows I don't hafta try hard to do that -- but when I saw them, I just...I just wanted to protect them. Be their big bro. I-I mean, they're kids, for god's sake! With no parents or anyone else, just a magic-casting monster to take care of them! I...I guess, it's part of being a brother."

"...And the thought that I didn't protect them...left them to die...It's just sick," he paused, trying vainly to conceal a shudder, repeating softly, "Sick."

The word hung loftily in the air, embedding itself within their minds and thoughts. That's right. It was about the children. It was sick. That was the problem.

_"I wonder what Blue thinks about that."_

The disembodied, electronic voice drew everyone's attention to the quietest member of the group. Silence. He raised the electronic notepad, showing what he just typed, looking questioningly at everyone in the eye. When no one answered, the mystic shook his head slightly before typing once more. The voice rang out once again after he was done.

_"I have only traveled to the Magic Kingdom once or twice -- IRPO has many qualms about dealing with those mages; Fuse considers them much too freaky for him. And after traveling with everyone for so long, I understand what he was saying: compared to everyone I know, even compared to certain other mystics I know, Blue seems too disconnected from our world. Maybe even from reality. I do not doubt that he does not regret what he did to Kylin, or the children."_

At this, the shuffling of feet and Gen's muffled snort could be heard. Nevertheless, no one argued after Silence gave them a warning glance. He wanted to get his message across.

_"I do not know if you, Gen -- or Lute, or Liza -- I do not know if you noticed this while you were all arguing at the courtyard, but all I could gather from Blue's reaction to your anger was puzzlement. He had no idea what caused your reactions. He wasn't faking confusion; he was truly lost. To him, leaving the children made sense because, and let us face it, the Region Map can only hold so many people. It was a choice of sacrificing his teammates, or not."_

More muffled shuffling. A cough sounded.

_"Even though in IRPO, the lives of civilians come first...Blue is not IRPO. He is not on a quest for justice, nor is he out to do good in the world. He is only out on a quest for himself. We chose to help him not to make the world a better place, but to help him gather magic."_

At this, Silence glanced pointedly at Gen. To him, the swordsman's earlier remark had been very much uncalled for. 

_"It is not like he does not have a brother of his own. Do not forget that."_

The words seemed to hit exactly where Silence intended. No one could look him in the eye after that. Suddenly, everything else became a whole lot more interesting: the wine stain on Liza's counter; the misty covering upon the window panes; even the small tear on one of the table cloths.

"That's one thing I don't understand...this whole 'kill your brother' deal," Liza muttered, running an idle finger along the edge of the bar, a distant part of her mind reminding herself to wipe up the stains from last night. Obviously, Annie had once again forgotten her share of the cleaning up. "Why is Blue pursuing such an inane thing? Such a stupid, inane thing? Who would even come up with such a quest, anyway?"

_"To quote Fuse, 'Those fancy-sounding mages are just sickos with bad fashion.'"_

Even Nusakan had to chuckle at that. Liza tried to frown, although the small smile at the edge of her lips took away most of its severity. Trust Silence to pull a smile out of her even in these moments. She sighed, continuing, "Still, it's shocking when you think about it. We're actually helping Blue to kill--" she paused, trying to remember the brother's name.

It was then she realized that Blue had never told her, nor anyone else, the identity of his mysterious sibling.

"--his brother. Just as..." She trailed off, eyes cast downwards, back to the counter.

Just as how they helped kill those children and the Kylin as well. But such a statement need not be said; all of the gathered teammates could finish it off themselves.

A chair was overturned as Gen struggled to stand up from his seated position on the floor, momentarily wobbling at the effects the spell still had on him. For the first, and briefest moment in his life, he really did pity the monsters who got a full dose of it -- because damn it, the stun side effect really HURT! Gritting his teeth stubbornly, he shuffled silently towards the door leading upstairs.

"Gen?" Lute questioned, eyes trailing the swordsman's back, "Where...?"

"Upstairs."

"Need any help?"

"Alone," the older man answered, before giving the group a grim smile, "Got some issues to settle. That's all."

"Oh."

Silence arched an elegant eyebrow at that. Part of him told him to get up, stop Gen from aggravating the young mage even further than he did earlier. Yet another part of him told him that Gen wasn't stupid enough to go up against a full-powered Space Lord with his current injuries. Granted, everyone had their own share of cuts and bruises from the battle, but Gen and Lute had suffered the most, what with both of them being the direct hitters.

Nusakan once again placed a comforting hand on Silence's shoulder. A touch of a smirk graced the doctor's lips, as he said softly, "Don't worry. The effects of Energy Chain will stun his mind -- and foul mouth -- for a while." The passive expression turned wry. "Besides, even Gen is not so stupid."

"Oi, doc vampire! I heard that!" Gen's miffed voice floated into room from the other side of the door, before he closed it.

Nusakan merely shook his head, looking amused.

***


	3. Hellish Fate

===============  
**The Winding Stairs  
**Chapter 3  
===============

Blue winced visibly as he poured more potion onto the deeper of the wounds, mentally kicking himself for the nth time that night for not acquiring any form of healing magic before this. Honestly, with all his planning, one would think he'd at least get _one_ magic spell that dealt with nasty bruises, but no...he had to concentrate on offense instead. Bah. If Rouge were here, he'd be laughing so hard he'd develop hernia.

Didn't Liza have a Starlight Heal spell in her ensemble?

Blue did consider asking her, but a mixture of pride and the wish to not get a punch in the face stopped him from entertaining the thought any further. Biting his lip, he grabbed a handful of tissues to dab at the dripping potion. He honestly doubted she'd do much to help him, anyway. From the anger she'd shown earlier, he'd be lucky if she didn't throw him a furious dose of Flash Fire instead. A sigh escaped him as recollections of the earlier exchange drifted into his mind.

Even now, close to half an hour after what had transpired, he still couldn't reason out why they had all been so...so furious. Couldn't they see that that was the extent of what he could do? While the Region Map was indeed spectacular, it wasn't a miracle. Neither was he a miracle-maker. He couldn't do anymore than he did. He accepted that. Why couldn't they?

Gen's words from earlier rang loudly, for the thirtieth time that night.

_"...About time you tried to save someone with that thing, isn't it?"_

He wasn't out here to save people.

_"...Other than trying ta kill your brother, that is..."_

But that was his fate, his destiny. He couldn't wish otherwise, and he wouldn't want to. There was no point in wishing for something that could not be changed. People spoke of choices, yet such a concept did not exist in the Magic Kingdom. His masters always said that everyone was created with one purpose in mind, one role to be fulfilled. When each played his or her role to the hilt, that was when the perfect society was achieved.

The perfect balance.

Choices only gave way to distractions. What use would a carpenter have if he was distracted by his artistic trivialities? What could a mage accomplish if he entertained the thought of mastering the sword? Choices were destructive. Hence those who wished otherwise were the foolish. Blue was anything but foolish.

So why couldn't he shake the feeling of stupidity that plagued him? Was it because of his lack of understanding? He still couldn't reason out the cause of his companions' erratic behavior. They seemed to think that there was something else he could do. What in all the regions could make them think that -- believe it so fiercely?

"...I don't understand. I just don't."

"Neither do we understand what goes on in that pretty little head of yours."

Blue looked up as a foreign voice infiltrated the quiet sanctity of his room. The door was open -- how could he have forgotten to lock it? Had the issue troubled him that much? -- and Gen stood, leaning against the frame languidly, one hand resting lightly on the bruised area. Blue subtly held back a wince as he noticed the ugly black and blue beginning to form, not to mention the horrid tear in the shirt. It looked like someone had to buy some new clothes before they left for...

Blue stopped at that, a more important thought overriding the rest. What made him think Gen would continue following him? Or any of them, for that matter?

When Blue didn't say anything at his entrance, Gen sighed, waving a free hand at the room, "Can I come in?"

"...Yes."

The swordsman stepped in, sharp eyes not missing the tiny droplets of blood staining the floor. While he had sustained numerous injuries, most had been artificial cuts that could be easily dealt with using a quick healing spell or just a handful of potions. He had to give majority of his thanks to the strong armor he made sure he always wore. Now, Blue, on the other hand...what defense could that ornamental robe really give? Yet the stubborn mage refused to wear anything more practical. It was tradition, he'd said, when Gen had irately demanded why.

Tradition for all Master Magicians to wear such robes.

All Gen remembered thinking at that time were two things: one, that magicians were all dweebs.

Two, that the young mage before him was quite the patriot. So very dedicated to his home.

It reminded him of his friends in Wakatu -- all of them had such devotion to their homeland, their cause. Up to the very end, when Wakatu was that close to destruction...they stuck by the land of their birth. Gen saw a spot of that loyalty in Blue, the strange mage in his ridiculous jeweled robe and his haunting sapphire eyes, who had come up to him without a second's hesitance to ask about that which was considered taboo to anyone who spoke to the gruff swordsman.

For some reason, he trusted the young man almost at once about his reason for attaining the gift. He had been straight as an arrow, hiding nothing, revealing everything.

It was almost frightening, the extent of his honesty.

_"I must acquire the gift and master various kinds of magic."_

_"That's one of the worst pickup lines I've ever heard."_

The look on Blue's face when Mei Ling said that...Gen shook his head. Silence was right. Just like then, he was still just as confused. Honest confusion. Like a child.

"Are you just going to stand there all night?"

The sardonic voice broke him from his reverie, an arch of his eyebrow adorning the mage's face. Gen had been standing still for, oh...close to five minutes now and Blue was getting tired just watching him. Throwing aside the wet tissues, he immediately grabbed the roll of bandages nearby and started tending to the wound. Thank goddess -- all three of them, even -- that he had actually paid attention during those few first-aid classes. His peers had deemed it unnecessary, thinking that healing magic would be more than enough. Obviously not.

A wince as his fingers provoked a particularly nasty spot. He couldn't hide it in time from Gen's battle-weary eyes.

Sauntering over to Blue's bed, upon which he was perched, the Wakatu swordsman pointedly grabbed the bandages from his hands and, settling himself in front of the former, began expertly wrapping up the wound. Blue blinked, not moving as Gen continued his work, trying too hard to hide the disconcerting feeling this closeness was bringing him. Even during his training, all injuries were to be tended on his own. No help was given, not even from his masters. It was a way to teach him independence, they said.

Well, it would have been nice if they'd taught him how to bandage himself properly too, but evidently, even the masters had thought it unnecessary. All was dealt through magic. Blue could practically count the number of times he had to bandage himself manually on one hand.

If Gen noticed his discomfort, he didn't make an issue of it. Finally, as he finished up the final touches, he asked nonchalantly, "You could've asked Liza to deal with this for you."

"Do you want me to die that much?"

A chuckle on the older man's part. Silence permeated the air after that, neither side having much to say. Finally, though, Blue did break the stillness with a question of his own, "Do you...Do I really look 'pretty'?"

Gen snorted good-naturedly from his seat on the floor, "Does Silence look like a butterfly?"

Blue's expression was the essence of doubtfulness; he couldn't really tell if that was a good thing. Lifting a hand to pull at a long lock of hair, he twirled it absentmindedly around his fingers, watching the blonde strands mingle with the dried blood on his fingertips.

"I do look a little different from the norm, don't I? But at home, nearly everyone looks something like this, with long hair and whatnot. Helps in the winter..." A pause.

"I guess I never realized how different it was outside home," Blue admitted, voice soft with wonder, "So many different people. Their lives, their worlds...and opinions. At the Academy, we were taught that the ultimate importance was the end result. The phrase, 'the ends outweigh the means' comes to mind. That was how they had always taught us to solve anything. Envision the end result and work towards it, using any and all means necessary."

"Anything...huh," Gen repeated, a touch of a frown on his face. "Your home sounds kinda...strict."

"They had to be strict -- it was the only way to ensure we didn't waste any more time than we had to. By disciplining us from the start to follow our masters, they essentially cut down half the time that would have been spent trying to keep us in order. So we weren't allowed to question; there was no need. They made sure to explain everything to us. All we had to do was follow."

"So they 'explained' how to solve stuff efficiently too?"

"Yes. Hence why I dealt with--with it that way." How strange. He couldn't even afford to refer to the former Space Lord by its name. As if he would be soiling its spellbinding mystique by simply uttering its name. A small, dry laugh. "I never thought it would garner such a reaction from you all, though. I still don't...understand it. Not even now. Somehow, I don't think I'll ever understand it no matter how many of you explain it to me."

It seemed like an ominous thing to say, with the accompanying thunder not helping. Yet it was all Blue could say. The only way he knew how to express his confusion.

"Can't blame ya."

Blue looked down in surprise. He'd half-expected to be strangled for approaching the subject; his comrades certainly seemed ready to do so before. As it stood, Gen simply stared at him with a strange, unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. Something like sadness, tinged with sympathy yet it wasn't quite pity. His lips were stretched into a grin.

"Can't blame ya," he repeated, if only so that Blue knew he wasn't dreaming this up. How could he blame the young mage for doing something he'd only been trained to do? It looked as if the young mage had been given a step-by-step guide to life that he couldn't pull away from. After hearing all that, the Magic Kingdom seemed like a scarier, freakier place than that Mystic domain -- Facinaturu, was it called? -- would ever be. It _seemed_ all nice and cheerful, but the kind of lives their people lead...

Gen studied Blue subtly, from the strange yin and yang symbols adorning his robe to the four Arcana signs embossed on his jewelry. The latter really did seem more feminine compared to other males. Didn't he hear some time ago that the Magic Kingdom worshipped goddesses?

The Wakatu swordsman, who had always hung onto his masculine, samurai spirit with the pride of a stubborn lion, found himself shuddering minutely. The Kingdom felt more like a prison than a place of magic.

Blue wouldn't let it go as easily. "But what about--"

"--the children?" Gen interrupted, biting his lip, "No, I don't approve. I'll tell you right here, right now: I don't approve of what you did. If I had known what would happen before we went to that freaking place, I would've bound you up and taken you to Scrap with me just to stop ya." A tired sigh, as he rubbed his eyes. The clock showed that it was already past midnight. Way past midnight. They really need to get some sleep; it's been a bloody long day as it is.

"But I didn't. None of us did. So it's just as much as our fault as it's yours. And getting all angry about it...it isn't going help much at all. What can I do, try to kill ya? You'd blast me to hell and back with those damned spells of yours."

"No, I--" Blue halted his protests, his eyes traveling to Gen's bruised chest. "...Sorry."

The other only shrugged it off. "It's fine, don't worry," he assured, before biting his lip once more. Damn it, if he continued doing this he'd draw blood in no time! "...'Sides, I shouldn't have said that stuff about your, er...your bro. None of my business, you know."

"No, it wasn't."

Ah, that honesty again. Gen refrained from chuckling, knowing it would only confuse the younger man further. Blue continued, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"Just one question?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you be leaving after this?"

Gen was surprised. "After the whole thing? Yeah, I guess."

"No, I meant..." Blue almost didn't want to ask this; on some twisted level, he would rather wake up tomorrow and then find his comrades gone. After all, wouldn't that preferable to knowing it now and not being able to do anything about it? However, his need to know got the better of him, as it always had. "I meant...are you leaving now? With everyone?"

Now Gen really did look surprised, almost confused to a point. It cleared within seconds, though, as he hopped to his feet and gave a gruff laugh, "Hell, Blue! You really think you can get rid of me that easily?!" Giving the younger mage a huge grin, he patted the latter on the back, the force behind them nearly throwing Blue off the bed. "I dunno about the rest...but I'm definitely sticking with you till the end. I didn't bring ya all the way to Wakatu for nothing, ya hear?

"...Besides, I'm interested in seeing this home of yours. Never been to the Magic Kingdom before."

Blue laughed slightly at that. "I'll bring you there then, after the duel. You probably won't like the magical aspect, and it really has no pungent beer or anything of that sort in Scrap, but...You'll like it there. You will," he promised.

Gen could only smile grimly at that.

***


	4. Redemption

===============  
**The Winding Stairs  
**Epilogue  
===============

"Where are we going?"

"To Devin. Just for awhile."

Liza glanced quizzically at Blue's back, but he refused to explain anything further. She knew he felt relieved, though. When he had come down from his room that morning, his expression had all but proved that he expected to find the area empty. His surprise that they had all been waiting for him at the entrance was almost endearing. He had never been too good at hiding his emotions, at least, not from an experienced young woman like herself.

Women always did have that sixth sense, as they say.

She _was_ confused about one thing, though: her reason for staying. She would have thought that yesterday's incident would have driven her away for good. Yet that morning, she had found herself waiting alongside everyone else at the entrance. As usual. A questioning glance in Lute's direction -- for she had thought that other than herself, Lute was the one other person who'd been just as emotionally affected -- and he explained himself in a whisper:

"I couldn't leave it -- not in the middle. I'm not a coward, so I'm gonna see it till the end."

So would she. They had all already gone so far together. She would never dare call this ragtag bunch her 'second family', but they weren't just mere acquaintances either. Her curiosity, not to mention the need to see things through, was pushing her on to reach the finishing line in this strange, disturbing race. That, and she wanted to ensure that Blue didn't do something stupid on the way. Like he did with Kylin.

As the mist surrounding them gradually disappeared, the surroundings made a startling switch from her restaurant's classy arrangement for the stark greenery of Devin's Shrine. Multi-colored flowers dotted the green carpet under them, a collage of red roses and yellow daffodils and the light purple of lilacs. It was fortunate that they had left early -- the delicate morning glories were still in bloom, the sun having just peeked slightly above the horizon. Liza didn't mind the sudden detour: Koorong didn't have nearly as many flowers as Devin's Shrine; it was a nice change of scenery.

In the center of the shrine grounds, past the richly colored scarlet arc, a young purple-haired girl was sweeping away scattered leaves into a small mountain. As they walked further into the shrine, worn boots scuffing and dragging noisily against the stone pavement, she looked up with startlingly lavender eyes. Eyes that roamed suspiciously over the group's ensemble of characters before finally coming to rest on its leader.

Her expression showed recognition; she almost dropped the broom in shock. As Blue walked up to her, almost solemnly in his stride, it seemed she didn't need any explanation. Her head lowered slowly, her movements halting as she whispered brokenly, "So the Kylin is dead." It was not a question.

Blue only nodded. Something told him that he should try somehow, someway to comfort the young girl in front of him. It would be the right thing to do, after all. Yet what _could_ he do, honestly? He didn't know any words of comfort; he froze like a blonde icicle whenever experiencing physical contact...so hugging was definitely out of the question; he couldn't do anything save to leave the area as soon as he could.

"Do you have any--"

Before he could finish, the girl -- Rei, he remembered Lute saying once, earlier in their travels, although he had forgotten how in the world the musician had acquired her name, aloof as she was -- handed him several sacred lots, eyes bright as she looked at him seemingly with all the knowledge of the worlds. It was at that moment that the young mage finally consented to the feeling that affected him when he first met her: she was truly not one of this world.

"The shrine is open. Go." Her voice was stern and strong. Then she turned back to her sweeping, moving further into the gloom of the trees.

Blue proceeded to the altar at the center of the shrine, his teammates hanging back as they watched his actions with growing interest. As he cleaned his hands in a nearby bowl of crystal-clear water, Liza muffled a surprised 'oh' as she finally realized what he was doing. Nusakan only nodded knowingly, folding his arms across his chest. Gen couldn't keep a giant smile from stretching his face: considering how slowly Blue was doing this, it was definitely not something commonly observed by the Magic Kingdom.

Maybe the mage finally was growing out of his strictly conditioned mold.

Finishing the preparations, Blue finally walked up to the altar and threw in a handful of coins. Surprisingly, he reached into the backpack he was carrying and pulled out a palm-sized object, so small that the rest of the group had to move nearer to see it. The mage clapped his hands twice before putting them together, closing his eyes in prayer for the lost souls of Paradise.

In a sudden burst of compassion, he prayed too for the soul of the Kylin.

Minutes later, he stepped back from the altar, giving a short, final bow before turning to leave with his companions.

As Rei watched them from beneath her canopy of flame of the forests, she waited until the profiles of her latest visitors gradually faded down the long, stone-carved steps. Stepping out from the shadows, she quietly walked up to the altar for one short look at Blue's parting gift. Bowing solemnly in honor of her parted friend, her dainty feet stepped back, and the estranged shrine girl continued her earlier task of sweeping up the fallen leaves.

As the sun finally rose above the horizon, streaks of light began streaming into the grass-carpeted grounds, lighting up the area for all to see, illuminating the blonde, straw-haired doll resting beneath the shade of the altar.

*~*~*~*~*


End file.
